What is the project about?

Egypt’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is a national framework for climate action led by the Ministry of Environment and supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The NAP strengthens Egypt’s ability to anticipate, plan for, and respond to climate risks by integrating adaptation priorities into national development, planning, and budgeting, systems. It enhances the capacity of institutions, sectors and communities to reduce vulnerability and build long-term climate resilience.

Situational Background 

Egypt is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to high population density, rapid unplanned urbanization, and limited technical capacity at the government level. 

Key climate threats include:

• Sea-level rise (SLR): Projections show a minimum 1m rise by 2100 along the Nile Delta coast, threatening 12 -15% of Egypt’s most fertile arable land through saltwater intrusion, putting coastal cities, energy infrastructure, ports, and industrial zones at risk.
• Water Scarcity: Driven by potential decreases in Nile flow, population growth (>2% annually), and high agricultural consumption accounting for 85% of water use.  Productivity of major crops (e.g. wheat and maize) are expected to decline by up to 19% by 2050.
• Increased extreme weather events: In the last five years, Egypt has experienced multiple flash floods,  heavy precipitation events, heat waves, and sand/dust storms --affecting human health, tourism, and energy infrastructure.

Policy and Institutional Context

Egypt's adaptation efforts build on the 2011 National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), the National Climate Change Strategy 2050 and Egypt Vision 2030. Adaptation governance is led by the National Council for Climate Change (NCCC)—established in 2015 and chaired by the Prime Minister—with a three-tier structure overseeing national adaptation planning.

The Climate Change Central Department (CCCD) within the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) at the Ministry of Environment is the national focal point for climate change.

Previous studies –including the Egypt’s Climate Change Interactive Vulnerability Map project (commenced 2018) and high-level sector policy briefs for water resources, energy, and agriculture —provide essential foundations for the NAP. The NAP process builds on these efforts and on the Fourth National Communication to the UNFCCC to develop a ia comprehensive National Climate Risk Assessment and embed adaptation indicators within national planning frameworks. 

How are we doing this? 

• The NAP project strengthens Egypt’s adaptation planning and response through:  Assessing and responding to national climate risks and identifying priority vulnerabilities across sectors and regions.
• Building institutional capacity for ministries and agencies working on adaptation.
• Mainstreaming adaptation into national development policies, investment planning, and budgeting processes.
• Engaging local communities and stakeholders to support community-based adaptation solutions and ensure locally led resilience planning.

How will Egypt benefit?  

The project aims to deliver the following outcomes:

1. Strengthened institutional and human capacities to coordinate, manage, and implement climate change adaptation planning and implementation.
2. An integrated and comprehensive national climate risk assessment and identification of adaptation priority areas, consolidated into a National Adaptation Plan Framework.
3. Integration of adaptation priorities into national planning and budgeting processes to guide long-term investment and resilience- building.